Your cat has been treated with ____________________ millicuries of radioiodine. When released to your care, your cat will have an exposure rate of less than 0.6mR/hr at one meter from the thyroid gland. Due to the natural decay of radioactivity and the continual loss of the radioactive iodine in the urine and feces, radiation safety precautions will be required for a period of two weeks after your cat has been discharged from the hospital. The following instructions must be followed for two weeks
(until _______________). With release of your cat to your care, you are accepting responsibility for the radiation protection of yourself and all other persons who may come in contact with your pet.
Children under 18 years and pregnant women should avoid contact with soiled litter.
Close contact (such as sleeping with you or sitting on your lap) should be kept to a minimum until the above date. Wash your hands carefully after handling your pet, food dishes, or litter pan.
Your cat must be confined inside your home during this period.
Provide a clean litter box that is located in an area where children are not exposed to it. Use gloves when changing the litter or cleaning excrements outside the box (including vomit).
The soiled litter can be handled in one of two ways, ie, either stored in a secure container in an unoccupied area for a period of 90 days, or discarded every day into the sanitary sewage system (toilet).
To store the litter for 90 days, please use a disposable litter box liner. Change the litter every day by removing it in the liner. Seal the liner and discard the soiled litter and liner in a covered trash container. This procedure should be followed for 14 days after release from the hospital. During the time you store the container, place it in a relatively unoccupied area where it cannot be reached by small children, pets, wild animals, etc. (basement or garage!). After 90 days from discharge from our hospital, the contents of the container will no longer be radioactive and can be discarded with your normal trash.
To discard the soiled litter every day in the sanitary sewage system (toiled), a small quantity of cat litter that is flushable (e.g., World’s Best Flushable Cat Litter). During a period of 14 days after your cat has been discharged from the hospital soiled litter needs to be discarded at least once a day into the toilet. Again, rubber gloves should be worn when cleaning the litter box.
Please schedule recheck appointments in 30 days with Southeast Veterinary Oncology and in 90 days with your referring veterinarian. Labwork to be evaluated should include a serum T4, chemistry panel, and urinalysis. Other follow-up information to be obtained for your pet includes:
If you have any questions, please contact Southeast Veterinary Oncology at (904)278-3870. In the event that your cat becomes ill and requires veterinary care, if our staff/facilities are unavailable, it is important that Dr. Tracy LaDue be contacted by your or your veterinarian so that proper precautions may be taken.
Your cooperation is needed to comply with the laws of the State of Florida and to allow continued availability of this type of treatment. I have read this form and the information contained in it has been explained to me. I understand the radiation safety precautions that I must follow until the date listed above.
_________________________________________________________
Owner/Agent signature Date
_________________________________________________________
Technician/Witness signature Date
Please print this form and bring it with you to to your appointment.
